Decks
Routine Care
Every week, sweep deck floors and thresholds with an outdoor push broom (or more frequently, if necessary) to remove leaves and other debris. Dust railings and windowsills with a counter brush.

Always shovel your deck after snowstorms. The weight of snow can damage the deck and the excess moisture can harm untreated wood.

Seasonal Maintenance
To wash a deck by hand, first sweep thoroughly and use an old saw blade or putty knife to remove any debris caught between the boards. Next, hose down the deck and scrub it with a long-handled deck brush and a solution of all-purpose cleaner and water, working in strokes that run parallel to the grain of the boards. For tough stains, use a commercial deck brightener or oxalic acid, which lighten dingy, gray wood.

If you have a large deck or porch, a power washer saves time. This machine uses high-pressured water to blast away dirt, mildew, and some stains. However, power washers can open the pores in untreated wood surfaces, exposing the surface to the elements and decreasing the deck's life span.

Once the deck is clean, check for wobbly nails that may have come loose over the winter. Remove them, and replace with galvanized, all-purpose deck screws, which are less likely to pop out of wood than nails are. Fill holes with wood filler, and sand smooth. Carry out any other repairs, such as replacing a splintered or warped board, before the damage worsens.

Once a year (or when drops of water no longer bead on the surface but are absorbed into the wood), coat the deck with a water-based waterproofing sealer. Choose a sealer that contains a UV protector to help block the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays.